ISEM

ISEM

Institut des sciences de l'évolution

For over 30 years, the Institute of Evolution Sciences of Montpellier (ISEM) (University of Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, CIRAD, INRAP) has been developing research on the origin and dynamics of biodiversity , on the modalities and mechanisms of its evolution.

His research concerns both current and past biodiversity, covers a wide range of organisms and environments, and combines field approaches, experimental and theoretical approaches.

If the fundamental questions of evolutionary biology (adaptation mechanisms, speciation, etc.) remain relevant for the understanding of the mechanisms at the origin of biodiversity, its structure and its functioning, the research carried out by the ‘ISEM integrate (i) the acceleration of data production means and the capacity to understand the different structural and functional dimensions of the living (from the gene to the ecosystem) which must lead to a global scale of understanding of the mechanisms of the evolution at the origin of the biodiversity, and (ii) the scientific and social questioning on the capacities of answers of the biodiversity (organisms and / or communities) vis-à-vis the planetary changes, which induces a displacement of the field of evolutionary research towards more applied and / or predictive aspects.